Getting married in three months or less? Don’t panic, your dream of a destination wedding can still become a reality…
Some people like to prolong the wedding-planning process as long as possible, but others prefer more of whirlwind approach, getting it all done and dusted in record time. If you fall into the latter group, but worry that your time frames put an overseas wedding this summer out of your reach, El Berwick from Thomson Weddings is here to assure you otherwise…
Cala Carbo beach, Ibiza
Cala Carbo doesn’t have a bad angle. It’s like the Angelina Jolie of beaches. This unspoilt little cove is a blank canvas for you to style your big day, your way. In our opinion, it lends itself best to simplicity, thanks to its natural good looks. Go barefoot and bohemian during your symbolic ceremony, then raise a glass of chilled Cava over a laid-back BBQ or a mammoth paella at the rustic thatched bar on the fringes of the bay. Nearby party animal San Antonio may be the ying to Cala Carbo’s yang in terms of peace and serenity, but it provides a handy base for wedding guests, and an excuse to keep the festivities going as long as the corks are popping.
Wedding packages from £775*
Cypress Grove, Florida
We’re pretty sure movies don’t come more romantic than The Notebook. Which is why Cypress Grove – a doppelgänger of Noah and Allie’s plantation house – couldn’t be a more picture-perfect setting for your nuptials. This vintage 1925 estate is within nuzzling distance of Lake Jessamine, and is draped in oak and cypress trees, which throw shadows across the immaculate lawns as the evening draws in. After saying your “I dos” on the water’s edge, you can revel beneath a canopy of stars mingled with string lights, and be transported to a bygone era. We’re willing to bet our entire Ryan Gosling DVD collection that this Southern belle will sweep you off your Choo-clad feet.
Wedding packages from £615*
Montana Pine Resort, Turkey
If you’re lusting after a coastal wedding, but you’d rather keep the sandy stuff at arm’s length, the Montana Pine Resort could be just the spot for you. And an impressive one, at that. The hills surrounding the resort are cloaked in a dense mesh of pine trees, and the hotel clings to the gentle slopes like it’s secured the last Vera Wang in a sample sale. Your ceremony and photos will boast a backdrop worthy of the opening sequence from The Sound of Music – all peacock-blue skies and breath-snatching views – setting your special day far apart from the hundreds of church/stately home combos that saturate Facebook. Oh, and did we mention there’s not one, but three, heaven-sent pools to sprawl out by? There’s a clincher, if ever we heard one.
Wedding packages from £529*
Nguni Sanctuary, Kenya
Pachelbel’s Canon in D is so last season. How about walking down the aisle to a chorus of birds instead? At Nguni Sanctuary you can count doe-eyed giraffes and long-horned antelope among your witnesses, as you tie the knot beneath an expanse of Zinfandel-pink sky. You’ll feel like you’re stepping into a David Attenborough documentary. After you’ve exchanged vows, and the nocturnal creatures are twirling into life on the surrounding plains, you’ll head to the Dhow boat restaurant for a five-course seafood meal. The fresh-from-the-net feast will make your pre-wedding diet seem like a distant memory. Also part of the package is a year’s adoption of a local animal, so you’ll not only be gaining a partner in Kenya, you’ll be acquiring a long-distance pet. Cuddles may be off limits.
Wedding packages from £635*
*Prices and package inclusions are subject to change.
For more details see thomson.co.uk/weddingideas, email [email protected] or check out more amazing ideas for your overseas wedding in our Weddings Abroad section.
